The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Satej Shinde
Clockwork in orange
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Housekeeping staff of the Tejas Express clean windows of a coach at Mumbai Central railway station
Larger-than-life stories
(Left) Satyajit Padhye demonstrates the working of the Ravana puppet; (right) the Bali Raja (farmer) puppet
In a spectacle that dwarfed even the sprawling fields of Pune, a giant puppet show stole the spotlight at the Farmer Cup event organised by Mumbai-based Paani Foundation in Balewadi last week. Measuring 12 ft tall and painted in vibrant colours, the puppets were put together by renowned ventriloquists and puppet maker father-son duo of Ramdas and Satyajit Padhye at their Mumbai studio. “We had crafted giant puppets before but the challenge was to get them to move. We had four people maneuvering a single puppet,” Satyajit shared, adding that he also used 3D printing techniques to make moveable eyelids. As part of a powada (a folk storytelling performance) one of the puppets represented a farmer, while the other, a Ravana puppet, symbolised 10 evils that the farmers fight during a year. Narrated by actor Atul Kulkarni and choreographed by Phulva Khamkar, Satyajit shared that the show was a hit with the 7,000 farmers gathered at the venue, and celebrities like director Ashutosh Gowariker, Jitendra Joshi, and actor Aamir Khan, a founding member of the foundation.
Art that connects continents
A typographic sign and (right) a portrait by Devis
If you peep out of the window on your metro ride towards Marol, you could possibly mistake it for the close-knit, bustling settlements sporting vibrant graffiti for a frame right out of Brazil’s Rio De Janeiro. Perhaps, that’s what drew international graffiti artist Michael Devis to the city’s bylanes yesterday. The Brazil-based street art pioneer and founder of the annual Streets of Style Festival in Curitiba, Brazil spent the day turning the walls of Dharavi, Navi Mumbai and Marol into his canvas with city-based group WickedBroz.
“I met Devis in 2017 at his festival for the first time. He has always been keen on coming to India and witnessing how we practice the art form here,” Omkar Dhareshwar, co-founder, WickedBroz, shared. While Devis came armed with a spray can, Dhareshwar told this diarist that the artist found new love in the city’s malai kebabs, dal khichdi and some sweet paan. “Good food is always the best parting gift,” he chuckled.
Laugh with Harouni
Janine Harouni. PIC COURTESY/INSTAGRAM
England’s Janine Harouni, a double Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominee, is set to make her debut in India on March 15 at NCPA’s Experimental Theatre. “Janine is one of the most accomplished emerging comics in the UK, and an artiste we’ve had a long, fruitful journey with,” said Steve Lock, head of comedy at Soho Theatre, the production company that is spearheading Harouni’s tour to India. The comedian will perform her set titled Janine Harouni: Man'oushe that explores how one DNA test by Harouni turned her life around — she has Arab roots. “Janine puts her heart and soul into her shows and presents her ideas with wonderful control and clarity. We’re excited for Indian audiences to enjoy her comedy,” he added.
Bougainvillea beauty in Malad
As you go through life, take time to look at the flowers
The fruits of patience are sweet, goes the adage. We can twist that to: the flowers of patience are sweet. They are bougainvillea in full bloom at the Back Road at Mindspace Malad. The row of shouting colour offsets the grey of concrete and gives citizens a picture postcard median. Yogendrasing Kachhawa, Assistant Superintendent of Gardens (P North ward) stated, “These were planted approximately eight months ago and today, we have a divider exploding with pink, orange, white and red colour. This is definitely a head-turner. The office goer looking for a short break can head here and take in the sight. Early morning walkers too, some who know us personally and use the Back Road for their exercise, have expressed admiration and exultation. The bougainvillea is a good choice; it is a hardy plant. We see them flowering in the sun. In the rains, we will concentrate on cutting and giving shape to the plants,” he explained. Here is to flower power, may a myriad bougainvillea bloom, in hearts, and in minds(pace), actually everywhere.
Unveiling AI
In an age where AI has become everyone’s favourite buzz word, Churchgate’s KC College is aiming to demystify the concept with their ongoing 10th International Media Summit, featuring talks and panel discussions around its implications in storytelling across mass media. “With AI tools, you can mimic a writer or an author within seconds. It has become important to weigh in on the pros and cons for students who are at a crossroads about its usage,” Vidhi Agrawal, faculty member, told this diarist.
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